Too Little Too Late
by Ultrawoman
Summary: One-Shot. In 'The Big Day', just when Zoe has decided to jump into things with Wade, George comes knocking on her door to tell her he didn't marry Lemon. Now Zoe has a choice to make and her decision might surprise even her!


**A/N: So, I have now seen the Season 1 finale, and I've been taking a break to read fanfiction before I dive into Season 2 next weekend, which is all well and good, but I didn't find anything that exactly did what I wanted to see happen after that last scene... so I wrote it myself. In my head, this is how it goes at the end of Season 1 and immediately after, and whilst I'm sure it's nothing like what canon will give me, it has made me happy to get it written down, and to share it with anyone who might want to read it, of course ;)**

 _ **Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and any recognisable dialogue from Hart of Dixie belongs to Leila Gerstein and other people that aren't me.**_

Too Little Too Late

Wade hardly knew what to make of the look on Zoe's face when she came back from answering the door. It was likely as not just Lavon checking up on her, and Wade couldn't imagine he made any fuss about the two of them doing what they just did.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked when Zoe continued to just stand and stare with the weirdest look on her face.

"Um, that was George," she said, gesturing vaguely over her shoulder. "He... he didn't marry Lemon and... and he says he's not going to."

Zoe felt strange just saying the words out loud, her mind racing to make sense of any of what had happened today. She just couldn't process, not at all. Still, it took all of two seconds for her to come back to her senses when she realised Wade was already out of her bed and fighting to get his pants back on just as fast as he could.

"What are you doing?" she asked, shaking her head.

"'bout time I was makin' tracks, doc," he said, just as bitter as she had ever heard him, and he'd had a lot of reasons to use that kind of tone with her lately. "I mean, we're done here, right? Got it over with and everything," said Wade, shrugging into his shirt, "just in time too by the sounds of things. Now, I'm outta your system and you're outta mine," he told her, grabbing his jacket and immediately moving to walk by her.

"Do you really believe that?" Zoe asked, stepping in front of him, her hands on his chest holding him back from leaving. "Is... is that how you really feel?"

She was looking up at him, all teary-eyed and lost. Wade had really hoped to make a clean break here while the going was good, but she couldn't even allow him that.

"Damn it all to hell, Zoe!" he exclaimed, running a hand over his face as he moved away from her again. "What do you want me to say?" he asked, throwing his jacket down on the bed in frustration.

"I want you to tell me the truth," she urged him.

"What for?" asked Wade, clearly frustrated. "Golden Boy Tucker just stepped on up to be your knight in shining armour, just like you always wanted," he reminded her, gesturning wildly. "So, you tell me what in the hell the point is in me telling you anything right now?"

She did understand. Zoe was sure Wade didn't think so, but she really did get it this time. The truth was she felt as frustrated as he did by this turn of events, but she was also afraid of what could happen next. She really needed to know they were on the same page.

"Because the truth matters," she said, watching him pace up and down. "Because I just told George the truth. I... I told him he was too late."

At those words, Wade stopped pacing. Truth to tell, he just about stopped breathing altogether for a second or two. He looked at Zoe, saw the serious look on her face, and still wasn't sure he'd heard what he thought he just heard.

"What's that now?" he checked.

Zoe smiled a little and shook her head. She could hardly believe it herself, but what she just told Wade was the truth. Maybe telling the whole story out loud, how it happened and why, would help both of them to better understand.

"George came here," she began, "all soaking wet and with a purpose, to tell me he... he chose me, I guess. I looked at him and I felt... well, a whole lot of things actually," she admitted, looking everywhere but at Wade to start off with, "but mostly, I wanted him to go away, because... because all I could think about was you being here," she said, meeting his gaze then. "Of us and what we were doing before he knocked on my door. I had a choice, Wade, right there in that moment, and I... I really hope I made the right one when I told George that I was choosing you."

Zoe didn't know what to expect when she made her confession. At first, she was waiting for some feeling of regret to come over her, but it never happened. It was so strange, she thought she had been waiting all this time for George to choose her and now, now when he finally had, it all felt too late. Of course, now Wade wasn't saying anything or moving at all, making panic rise in her chest. If she had this wrong, if all he really had wanted was this one night...

"You told Tucker to get lost?" asked Wade, suddenly grinning. "Because of me?"

"Yes." Zoe nodded. "And please, don't ask me to explain it because I really don't think I can. You and me, it's not supposed to mean anything, right? It's just what we needed to get over ourselves, get each other out of our systems and-"

She wasn't looking at him as she rambled on, fingers twisting together in front of her, gaze mostly on the carpet as she fought the tears welling in her eyes. It was how she missed Wade moving forward with a purpose, until he was right there, taking a hold of her and cutting off her words with his lips on hers.

When they finally parted, he smiled.

"You were freaking out," he told her softly.

A burst of laughter escaped Zoe's lips and a tear streaked down her cheek at the same time.

"You scared me for a minute there," she admitted, sniffling a little.

"Sorry 'bout that, doc," Wade told her, hand cradling her cheek, thumb wiping away her tears. "Kinda took me by surprise is all. I know what we said before, back at the barn, but... well, since you started this whole being truthful thing, I guess I thought I should go with it."

"You should," she confirmed, leaning into his touch.

"Well then, I guess I'm not exactly sorry 'bout that choice you made," he told her, smiling wide.

"You're not?"

Wade shook his head. "Maybe it wouldn't be so bad tryin' to figure out how to make something work out between the two of us, if that's what you want."

Zoe finally felt like she could breathe again as she tightened her arms around Wade's neck and kept him just as close as she could.

" _You_ are what I want, Wade Kinsella," she promised him. "Believe me, I really didn't see it coming, but you are."

She kissed him then and he kissed her back. The passion sparked between them, much as it had before, as they stumbled back to the bed and picked up right where they had left off.

It was almost as if George Tucker had never showed up there at all, though his visit had made some difference. Now Zoe and Wade both knew this wasn't just sex between two people who needed someone. What they had was truly something special. They had made their choice, consequences be damned.

The End

 **IMPORTANT NOTE: For those that don't know, I'm trying to avoid spoilers, so while I will be extremely grateful for any reviews I might get on this story I would appreciate no comments that might spoil me for Season 2 (or 3, or 4!). Many thanks in advance :)**


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